Exploring themes of self-discovery and resilience against a backdrop of Arkansas’s Ozarks landscapes, Sent Through The Ceiling is the new album from American singer songwriter Ashtyn Barbaree.

By Graeme Smith

Hailing from Fayetteville, Ashtyn is an international touring artist who has just hit my radar for the first time with her new album. It’s a very personal collection, taking inspiration from her own bittersweet life journey as well as the striking nature in which she lives.

Of course, you don’t live in the American South without picking up some of its folk and country traditions, and Sent Through The Ceiling is full of their hallmarks. Yet, there’s a modern edge about the collection too, drawing on the best of acoustic pop to create a record that feels both familiar and new.

The album opens with the delicate, reflective and ultimately uplifting Along For The Ride, which paints a picture of a journey that is taken at one’s own pace. Toe-tapping acoustic guitar forms the basis of the instrumental. It’s augmented by Ty Dunn’s pedal steel and Ashtyn’s own compelling vocals.

Copenhagen proves an early highlight thanks to its rich emotional composition and its soul-searching lyrics. They are full of imagery and poetry and stick with you. Other highlights include the pleading, dramatic title track Sent Through The Ceiling, the devastating I’m Not Ready, the folksy and atmospheric Lost In Your Eyes, the biting 2am Shadow, and bright album closer What We’ve Become.

With her new album, Ashtyn Barbaree has created a raw and relatable collection that shares the highs and lows of living. She emotes it all with beautiful vocals and brings her stories to life with memorable song writing. I can’t recommend it enough.

Sent Through The Ceiling is self-produced and was recorded at Haxton Road Studios in Bentonville, Arkansas with Ryan Ceola. It’s set for release 25 October 2024. You can pre-save the digital version here, and pre-order it on CD and vinyl here.